‘Delinquent’ Members, Daley Labels Moves Abnormal
By Neto Baptiste
Former executive member with the Antigua and Barbuda Athletic Association (ABAA) and potential presidential candidate for the body’s pending elections, Teddy Daley, has called on sitting president Everton Cornelius to rescind letters sent to delinquent individuals terminating their membership with the body for non-payment of fees and or dues.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Daley said he is aware of at least two members
who have received letters terminating their membership but believes they should have been given an opportunity to rectify the issue.
“The president is a friend of mine so it’s nothing personal. Many times we see eye to eye on certain things but in this case our philosophies are different and I am advising him that the best thing to do at this point is to rescind the letter that was sent out to the members. Give them an opportunity to pay and if they don’t pay then that’s a different story and then let’s hold the election and after, let’s sit down and plan how we are going to move the sport forward because at the end of the day, all of us want the same thing,” he said.
Daley said that in the past and under Cornelius’ presidency, others were given the opportunity to bring their financial status into good standings.
“In fact, a precedence has been set that over the last three elections or so, people were given notice that they should bring their financial status up to date within a specific period of time. I am looking, right now, at correspondence suggesting that and they also indicated the time and place the treasurer would be in order to collect these dues so that people could bring their status up to date,” he said.
Pointing out that his son, physiotherapist Keston Daley and coach Marlon Mack are two of the members who would have received letters, Daley said he is struggling to understand the rationale given. They are two figures who have recently travelled as part of teams representing Antigua and Barbuda.
“He was the physio to Carifta Games held in March of this year and he also paid his own money to buy the necessary things that were needed, to ship his equipment and his bed and so forth and his accommodation, he paid all of that. He was reimbursed some months after but the fact that you paid your own money upfront and you were there to take care of the athletes. And then you say there is no interest,” he said.
“It gets worse because I also saw the letter for Marlon Mack which says that he [Mack] also shows no interest. Marlon Mack is the coach of the Carifta gold medallist and record holder [Malique Francis] who won this year and broke the record this year,” Daley added.
According to the association’s constitution, fees are due and payable on January 1st each year. If the individual misses that deadline, they are allowed until March 15 that same year to bring the fees up to date but face suspension from all ABAA activities if they fail to do so. Should the fees remain unpaid at the end of September that same year, membership will be reviewed and if revoked, the individual or club would need to reapply for membership.
No date has been set for the body’s election but Cornelius has signalled he will not seek re-election.
